My Watercolour Portfolio

A brief look into a half fogotten portfolio of watercolours that have never

been framed or seen

I was surprised how many of the paintings were of subjects from

the English Lake District, this is a view of Wastwater

 A painting of Blea Tarn, a tarn is the local name for a small lake, usually

half way up the Mountains. In the background are the Langdale Pikes

The same Pikes that sweep down into the Langdale Valley

The time is late winter, a favourite time for me. The greens of summer gave way

to the tawney colours of gold and brown. In this detail,  the last of the

winter snows are depicted by just just leaving the white paper unpainted

Leaving the lake District, this scene is Haworth at dusk.

Haworth of course will always be associated with the

Bronte sisters who lived there lives, only a short distance away

from this view point

My choice of colours, or palette as its called dosn't include white (remember

the snow) or black. The detail below shows that by mixing blue (Ultramarine)

with brown (Burnt Umber) I can get a more lively dark

We are now looking at a scene in Ireland, the mountain known as

Ben Bulben. The close up below shows my treatment of lichen,

that covers our trees and rocks in this part of the world.

For the technical minded the colours are Viridian(green)

and Burnt Umber  

The Golden Retriever, our favourite breed

 Our lovely dog, 'Cindy' we did'nt know at the time but this

was to be her last spring

She was the reason we started to spend all our spare time

touring the British Isles. I don't think there was ever a time when

she did'nt accompany us on our trips

It took over four years before we could come to terms with her sudden lost.

This was our first meeting with Cindy's succeser 'Clare', she is the one

on the right being greeted with Mum, and Dad (nearest the camera)

Getting another dog reminded us that it can be a change in life style. so the week

before we were to collect her from the kennels, I fullfilled a desire I had long

held. This was a visit to 'Castle Howard' in Yorkshire, not realy a

practical place to take a dog

Castle Howard

is an enormous country house, lived in by the aristocrary, it is full of national treasures

from all over the world, that can be enjoyed by all who wish to visit it

it was chosen as the backcloth of the film 'Brideshead Revisited' This brought a touch of glamour that no film studio could match

                    

In early August we brought 'Clare'  home at eight weeks to be part of the family

We leave Clare on the day she was five months old,

she is growing at a great rate

Photos from my Travels

Our motorhome on a campsite above St.Ives.

We have been able to spend many happy times in her

travelling all over the British Isles, including Ireland.

Our biggest trip was last year, when we had six

weeks touring Europe

                           

    Scotland was where this picture of the stag was captured

                                          
Still in the Highlands of Scotland,

                                                                    

after a day of rain, the sun finally broke through,  for me to get this shot  

this cannon at Culzean Castle caught my eye for a picture of colour and texture

Nearer home in Yorkshire is this view of the river Wharfe, at Bolton Abbey

You will have guessed by now that I love to be by water,  this photo was the view from our motorhome in Interlaken, Switzerland. The old boat is steam driven,

and takes tourists around Lake Brienze

Five thousand miles away, one of our  favourite places, Yosemite Valley, USA

This next picture of the Elk, was taken in Yellowstone National Park

Adjoining Yellowstone, in Wyoming is another of America's superb

National Parks, The Tetons

Back home, and the onset of Autumn

Winter comes to the English Lake District

 

This is a photo of the North Sea in Yorkshire

Finally back to where we started, sunrise over St.Ives

East Lancashire's Industrial Past in Water Colour

When growing up in the fifties this scene was typical of the tired old cotton towns.

Before leaving school, I use to deliver meat for the local butcher. When the clocks were

turned back, and the shops were still open, the whole place was to my eyes transformed

into a magical place as I pedalled on my delivery bike. Of course every house and

factory was belching smoke, which trapped the mist.

As far as the painting goes, the technique is perhaps the most difficult, Wet in Wet.

The location is the hilly town of Colne on the north of Pendleside

         This is another example of Wet in Wet

  My painting 'The Entrance to Gannow Tunnel'. The

      horse that towed the barge, was led over the hill here in Burnley, while the man legged 

it on his back through the tunnel

                       

The Leeds and Liverpool canal was opened here in 1804, cutting right through

Burnley, this area is well preserved, and remains more or less just

as it was when I painted it in the eighties. Cotton mills were

built all along the banks, this part is known as the

Weavers Triangle

The old from the new, the new was a multi storey car park from where I first got this

view of the town. The old has now gone, the river Brun as been cleaned up 

after its pollution from iron ore deposits.

The viaduct is where the railway crosses Burnley, A little

known fact about Burnley, is that at the begining of 

the nineteen hundreds, more cotton was woven

here than any where else in the world.

Back in the sixties, the town was a forest of factory chimneys

Oil or Water? Painting Techniques

In my opinion there is only one way to paint one of our English Skies. The medium must be Water Colour. When I'm asked how long did it take to paint that sky? the truthful answer is about ten minutes, the smart answer could be thirty years. Just as we write our signature in a flourish I think water colours should done and left.

A closer look at the forground on this painting 'Rag  and Bone man, Nelson', shows

single brush strokes, get it wrong and and its not as effective

The stonework however was done wet in wet,

and could take some time

In complete contrast, is this detail from my picture 'Sarlat-la-Caneda', reflecting I hope, the  hot

colours of France. This is an oil painting, with thick buttery paint

applied with a painting knife

The last of the mediums I have used is 'Pen and Wash'. Allied to watercolour,

the image is drafted out (in my case) in waterproof Indian ink, drawn

with a reed pen. The pen can be made from a piece of cane, which is

sharpened to a point. The effect is an attractive irregular line,

hopfully seen on this close up of the fishing boat

This water colour 'A Beach in Donegal' is a subject that is particularly

suitable for water colour. The dry brush work on the breaking

waves takes us back to the 'one stroke flourish'. I spoke of

at the start. The white bits are the untouched paper,

I never use white paint, truly transparent

Water Colour

stills from my film 'Boat'

Two hours away from Pendleside is the Lake District. We often go in the motorhome to this beautiful campsite, in Keswick. The site lies beside Derwent Water. There are superb views on all sides. My main interest here is photography, both still and movie

                         

This oil is from Derwent Water, looking south to Borrowdale, a backlit  study in cobolt blue

  At the other end of England lies Cornwall, Rickard is a cornish name, and I always feel at home when I cross the border from Devon. We had a count up Dot and I, and realised we have been going to St.Ives for over forty years

            Low tide St.Ives

the sea has retreated. Showing off the great lines of boats, even the tiny ones like this one

This old boat was discovered in Gweek, south Cornwall. The time of day is pure imagination

     

Finally this painting of  the canal wharf at Wigan was the picture produced as a oil painting demonstration in the making of my film 'Boat'

Until the age of eight I lived, only a few miles away from this location known as 'Wigan Pier' Here again this is a record of things that were. The whole area as been renovated, and as become a tourist attraction